Kentucky Minimum Wage Law

Employers in Kentucky must conform with these state rules regarding the minimum wage paid to employees.

The minimum wage rate in Kentucky is $7.25 per hour.

Kentucky's minimum wage law generally covers all employees except:

• those employed in agriculture
• executive, supervisory and professional personnel, outside salespersons and collectors
• federal employees
• those employed in domestic service (except where more than one such worker is employed in a single household)
• employees of retail stores, service industries, hotels, motels and restaurants whose employer grossed less than $95,000 a year, or who are a parent, spouse or child of the employer
• babysitters and companions in private homes
• newspaper deliverers
• certain emergency employees
• employees of nonprofit camps and conference centers that do not operate more than seven months per year
• houseparents in licensed nonprofit child care facilities
• individuals providing companionship services who are employed by a third-party employer or agency

Nonprofit corporations that employ handicapped and sheltered workshop employees at federally established minimum wage requirements are exempt from the state minimum wage requirements established for companies that seek rural economic development incentives.